Senior Lab Daily... Antics from 14.9 years Elsa

Hello to all of my new doggie friends and owners,
I am happy to be here on Dogster.
I am Elsa and I live in Maryland. I am pretty old for a Lab, 14.9 years.
I am still happy and sharing my days with my family. I have two cats,
Pumpkin an orange tabby and Pavorotti a very large grey tabby.
I will send you a pic.

My days are quite routine. My mom works from home so I have
the best of both worlds. She is usually home to watch me in case
I have a bad day. I do the best I can. My hearing is quite gone.
But I can understand the hand signs they use to guide me.
I can't do steps so my dad carries me out front. I can go out the
back though by myself. A dog needs her pride you know.
My mom gives me my meds and I am pretty comfortable most
days. When I feel bad I will pace the house and mom sits down
and pets me and tells me stories about the old days.

I have a young friend named Doc who is quite the looker.
I think he likes me even though I am too old for him. He is
my Melissa's boyfriends dog. p.s. the cats do NOT like him.

I love to watch out the window for my family to return home
and I make sure dinner and lunch is prepared on time.

Back in the day I was quite the athlete. I have won awards for
frisbee catching and was quite a runner.

These days finds me just about able to manage my yard and
a block or so to check on my neighbors.
They are always happy to see me and I love to sniff their yard
and say hi to everyone.

My biggest love is my beach place. My mom and day take me
on a long trip. We leave very early in the am and when I wake
up I am at my beach. They always open the vents for me so I can
smell the ocean air and they say I become a puppy again.

My dad bought me a golf cart and if I am not too stiff I ride to
the beach. These days mostly I have to ride in the car as my
old back can't handle that bumpy ride in the cart.

Today I am home in Maryland enjoying the cool air, I smell
many memories of my long life in the breeze.

I am a bit tired this monday having had a bad night with a
urinary issue but today after several long naps and my pills
I am feeling better.

Happy thursday. Well, the week is almost over and my mom and dad and melissa are very happy it is a long holiday weekend.
I hope the sun is shining brightly.
My mom took me out today and the wind is chilly and there is little sun.
Today my left leg is going out on me a bit and I am not too steady.
I took a spill in the kitchen when eating my lunch and a good thing
mom was there to hoist me up.
Then I took a nap.
Even the cats are napping today. Pavorotti is on my Melissa's bed on the warm blue blanket and Pumpkin is on mom and dad's bed near the window.
I know he is hoping for some sun he is old like me, 15, and he likes the warm feeling on his fur.
Talk to you all later.
Keep your paws crossed for some sun. This has been one damp, chilly spring around here.
Where is my BEACH? Mom said soon we will take a trip to my beach.
Love,
Elsa

Hi Pals,
I was really hoping to have a better weekend but I have had a few days of a bad run with my back legs.
When my legs are not strong I really want to stay in and sleep.
Mom gave me double pain meds and this helps me but it makes me
unable to help in the yard with the gardening and pool work.
I did get up and watch thru the bay window and make sure things were going okay in my yard.
Dad brought me out a couple of times and I took a brief stroll but was more than ready to go back to my feather bed.
I did supervise the cooking of all meals though as usual. Even bad legs won't keep me from my assistant chef job.

Weekends when my legs are bad make me sad. I want to be with my family and my legs won't let me. I wish I were 2 again.
I hope I will feel better today.
I feel a nap coming on, chat later....
Love,
Elsa

Sorry mom, I know you had me out just a few minutes ago. I guess I did not know I had to goooooo.

So, very sorry.

I am going to try harder to get my biz done when I am outside sniffing.
But what used to work for me is just not always cutting it these days.

Good thing you bought that extra large paper towels package and that good oxy cleaner.

Pavorotti came up and told on me didn't he. He gets so offended if I have a woops I pooped. Cats, so fussy. I don't know why they should feel so uppity they do their biz in a BOX. afterall, and then they DIG in it...... Geez.....

Today I am giving mom and dad and melissa the worries. I am just so tired.
Dad told mom before he left for work to keep an eye on me that I wasn't acting right.
Mom could see that this am when my normal routine was not followed.
I did not get up when she fed the cats. I am so tired.
Mom let me sleep and when I did get up she coaxed me out for a wee.
I didn't want to but I went out. I did not go though.
Back in we came.
Before mom left we went out for another try at it. No go.

It is hot out and I don't feel like walking. Pretty soon I will have to bite the bullet and go out again to go potty but man I am tired.
Mom gets frustrated because if I don't go I get recurrent urinary infections which will have me up and out every 5 minutes which is bad for my legs.
Bad for me and mom and dad who end up staying up all night to assist me.

Sorry for my brief absence. If you followed my entries last week you know I was not feeling too good last week.
By friday afternoon I had not gone out pee pee all day, seemed uncomfortable and mom was very worried.
Upon closer inspection mom saw that I had a bad irritation on my lower underneath and more than likely I was not going because it hurt me.
Mom called the vet and he prescribed an antibiotic and a powder to numb and dry up the area.
With my legs being droopy last week when I go out to go I probably dribble a bit and it scalds my skin. Another day in the life of a senior.
Now mom has meds for everything.
The powder immediately made me comfortable and I stopped pacing and went right to bed. Then I got up and went outside for a BIG
PEE. Mom and everyone were so happy.
My family can't stand to see me uncomfortable.
Thanks Dr. Andrew you again saved the day.
Feeling better today,
Love All,
Elsa

hello everyone, I wish I was young again. This heat is really getting to me. I used to have a great little pool and boy did I enjoy it.
I would toss my frisbee into it and then dig around in the water and flip it back up and dig it up again. I hear it was pretty funny to watch.
I am not enjoying summer at all this year.
I spent this weekend in the air conditioning and sleeping. I had a very hard time going outside to potty. It was too hot and I labored to walk and do my business. I just wanted to get back inside. Mom worried I was holding it just to get back inside and did not know what to do.
I am not to comfortable lately. I am pacing the house and taking a long time to settle.
I could not keep my food down this weekend and food is one of my last loves of life. Eating.
Mom is worried about me and wondering if I am happy.
Keep me in your thoughts. I am working on a plan to become young again.
I really miss the good ole days.
Elsa

I am trying hard to get better and feel like my "old" self again and all of your wishes and kind thoughts and fairy dustings are helping me.
Mom thinks I have turned the corner. Boy was everyone worried.
Mom thought my kidneys were failing on me.

As of this afternoon I am stronger and not having any problem with keeping my food down and walking outside to do my biz.
My family is happy to see me on the mend yet again.
Mom said I am giving her gray hair.

Hello Pups,
I am back from my trip. We had a pawome time. I saw my cousin Max he invited me to his beach place in Fenwick, DE.
He showed me his swimming hole and his digs.
Lucky guy.
I met a new friend named Winston. He was cute. His mom said he loves labs.
I stayed in the sunroom and looked out over the water. A few ducks walked by and did not even know I was watching them thru the glass.
I saw my moms family and they all loved me and petted me.
I love trips.
I slept soundly all the way home and just woke up from a nap now.
Traveling wears a girl down.
I have to rest up because in two weeks I am taking my family to MY beach in North Myrtle. Lucky girl I am.
I am going to try to stay well these days.
Love,
Elsa